What is G1: Geometric notation?

Geometry uses agreed words and symbols so a diagram communicates facts precisely. A point names a position; a line continues, while a line segment has endpoints.

How many marks are G1 questions worth?

In verified past-paper appearances, G1 questions on Edexcel GCSE Maths 1MA1 have been worth 1–3 marks.

Which past exam papers has G1 appeared in?

G1 has appeared in 6 verified past-paper questions indexed on this page, with direct links to the official question paper and mark scheme for each.

Use conventional terms/notations: points, lines, vertices, edges, planes, parallel and perpendicular lines, right angles, polygons; standard triangle labelling; draw diagrams from written description

Geometric notation

Worked answers, methods and verified real exam appearances for G1 on Edexcel GCSE Maths 1MA1.

Explanation

Geometry uses agreed words and symbols so a diagram communicates facts precisely. A point names a position; a line continues, while a line segment has endpoints.
Vertices are corners and edges join vertices. Parallel lines never meet, whereas perpendicular lines meet at $90^\circ$ .
In $\angle ABC$ , the middle letter $B$ is the vertex; in triangle $ABC$ , side $AC$ is opposite $B$ .
Draw a written description one instruction at a time, label every required point and add conventional arrow, equality and right-angle marks.
The examiner awards stated or marked relationships, never what a sketch merely appears to show.

Conventional marks show two parallel lines and a perpendicular transversal.

Worked example

Draw triangle $PQR$ with $PQ=PR$ . Put $S$ on $QR$ , draw $PS\perp QR$ , and state which side is opposite $P$ .

1.Draw and label triangle $PQR$ , then mark $PQ$ and $PR$ with matching equality ticks.
2.Place $S$ on segment $QR$ , join $P$ to $S$ , and add a right-angle mark at $S$ .
3.The side not touching vertex $P$ is $QR$ , so $QR$ is opposite $P$ .

Answer: A correctly labelled diagram with $PQ=PR$ , $S$ on $QR$ and $PS\perp QR$ ; the opposite side is $QR$ .

Common mistakes

Don't read $\angle ABC$ as the angle at $A$ instead of the middle letter $B$ .
Don't use a relationship because the sketch looks parallel, equal or perpendicular although it is not stated or marked.

Exam tip

In a construction or drawing question, keep every requested label and conventional mark visible because each can carry an independent mark.

Worked practice

Tier 1 · Easy

In triangle

PQR

, which vertex is opposite the side

PR

(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 1
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
1	Vertex $Q$	1	The side $PR$ joins vertices $P$ and $R$ . The remaining vertex is $Q$ , so $Q$ is opposite $PR$ .

Tier 2 · Standard

Lines

AB

and

CD

are parallel. A line through

E

meets

AB

F

at a right angle. State the relationship between

EF

and

CD

(1)

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 2
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
2	$EF$ is perpendicular to $CD$ .	1	Because $AB\parallel CD$ , a line perpendicular to $AB$ is also perpendicular to $CD$ . Therefore $EF\perp CD$ .

Tier 3 · Hard

Draw quadrilateral

ABCD

with

AB\parallel CD

. Draw diagonal

AC

. Mark a point

E

AC

, then draw the line through

E

perpendicular to

AB

, meeting

AB

F

and

CD

G

(3)

(Total for Question 3 is 3 marks)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 3
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
3	A correctly labelled diagram with $AB\parallel CD$ , $A,E,C$ collinear, $F,E,G$ collinear, and right-angle marks at $F$ and $G$ .	3	Draw and arrow-mark the parallel sides $AB$ and $CD$ , then join $A$ to $C$ . Place $E$ on $AC$ . Through $E$ , draw one straight line meeting $AB$ at $F$ and $CD$ at $G$ , and mark both perpendicular intersections as right angles.

Tier 1 · Easy

Two line segments

QR

and

RS

meet at

R

. Write down the angle at

R

using three letters.

(1)

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 4
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
4	$\angle QRS$ (or $\angle SRQ$ )	1	The vertex letter goes in the middle, so the angle is $\angle QRS$ or, in the reverse order, $\angle SRQ$ .

Tier 2 · Standard

Two plane faces of a solid meet along line segment

AB

, and several edges meet at

A

. Write down the geometric term for

AB

and the geometric term for

A

(2)

(Total for Question 5 is 2 marks)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 5
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
5	$AB$ is an edge; $A$ is a vertex.	2	The line segment where two faces meet is an edge. A point where edges meet is a vertex, so $AB$ is an edge and $A$ is a vertex.

Tier 3 · Hard

Draw line segment

PQ

of length

8

cm. At

P

, draw

PR\perp PQ

with

PR=6

cm, and join

R

Q

. Mark

U

as the midpoint of

PR

. Through

U

, draw the line parallel to

RQ

, meeting

PQ

V

. Mark all the stated relationships.

(3)

(Total for Question 6 is 3 marks)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 6
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
6	A correctly labelled right-angled triangle $PQR$ with $PQ=8$ cm, $PR=6$ cm, $PR\perp PQ$ , $PU=UR$ , $V$ on $PQ$ , and $UV\parallel RQ$ marked.	3	Draw $PQ=8$ cm, construct the $6$ cm perpendicular $PR$ at $P$ , and join $R$ to $Q$ . Bisect $PR$ to place $U$ . Draw the unique parallel to $RQ$ through $U$ ; it meets $PQ$ at $V$ . Add a right-angle square, equal-length ticks on $PU$ and $UR$ , and matching parallel arrows on $UV$ and $RQ$ .

Tier 2 · Standard

Line segments

AB

BC

and

BD

meet at

B

. The segment

BD

is at right angles to the segment

BC

. Write down the angle between

BA

and

BD

using three letters, and write the right-angle relationship between

BD

and

BC

using symbols.

(2)

(Total for Question 7 is 2 marks)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 7
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
7	$\angle ABD$ (or $\angle DBA$ ); $BD\perp BC$	2	The common endpoint $B$ is the vertex, so it is the middle letter in $\angle ABD$ or $\angle DBA$ . The given right-angle relationship is written $BD\perp BC$ .

Tier 3 · Hard

A triangular-based pyramid has base

PQR

and apex

S

. Write down the edge where plane faces

SPQ

and

SPR

meet, the vertex that is not on plane

PQR

, and the edge opposite vertex

Q

in triangular face

QRS

(3)

(Total for Question 8 is 3 marks)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 8
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
8	Edge $SP$ ; vertex $S$ ; edge $RS$	3	Faces $SPQ$ and $SPR$ share vertices $S$ and $P$ , so their common edge is $SP$ . The apex $S$ is not on the base plane $PQR$ . In triangle $QRS$ , the side not touching $Q$ is $RS$ .

Tier 3 · Hard

Quadrilateral

PQRS

has vertices in order. Which option satisfies all these conditions:

PQ\parallel RS

QR\perp PQ

, diagonal

PR

is drawn, and

T

lies on

PR

? A

P(0,0),Q(6,0),R(6,4),S(1,4),T(3,2)

P(0,0),Q(6,0),R(6,4),S(1,4),T(3,3)

P(0,0),Q(6,0),R(6,4),S(0,3),T(3,2)

. Give three geometric facts that justify your choice.

(4)

(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 9
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
9	A; $PQ\parallel RS$ , $QR\perp PQ$ , and $P,T,R$ are collinear	4	In option A, $PQ$ and $RS$ are both horizontal, while $QR$ is vertical, so the parallel and perpendicular conditions hold. The line from $P(0,0)$ to $R(6,4)$ has midpoint $(3,2)$ , so $T$ lies on diagonal $PR$ . Option B puts $T$ off $PR$ , and option C makes $RS$ non-horizontal. These coordinate checks leave exactly option A.

Q10

Tier 3 · Hard

On a coordinate grid, plot

P(0,0)

Q(8,0)

R(6,6)

and

S(2,6)

, then join them in order. Draw diagonals

PR

and

QS

, labelling their intersection

E

. Through

E

, draw the line perpendicular to

SR

, meeting

SR

G

. Write down the coordinates of

E

and

G

, then write the relationships between

PQ

and

SR

, and between

EG

and

SR

, using symbols.

(5)

(Total for Question 10 is 5 marks)

Mark scheme

Mark scheme for question 10
Question	Answer	Mark	Mark scheme
10	A correct labelled diagram; $E(4,4)$ ; $G(4,6)$ ; $PQ\parallel SR$ ; $EG\perp SR$	5	Plotting and joining the four given points fixes the quadrilateral, with horizontal sides $PQ$ and $SR$ . A point on $PR$ has coordinates $(6t,6t)$ , while a point on $QS$ has coordinates $(8-6s,6s)$ . Equality of the coordinates gives $t=s=\frac23$ , so the diagonals meet uniquely at $E=(4,4)$ . Since $SR$ is horizontal, the unique perpendicular through $E$ is $x=4$ , which meets $SR$ at $G=(4,6)$ . Hence $PQ\parallel SR$ and $EG\perp SR$ . Every plotted point, drawn segment and requested relationship is included in the answer.

Verified exam appearances

Series	Paper	Question	Marks	Calculator	Tier	Links
2022-06	2F	Q7	3	Allowed	Foundation	QP MS
2024-11	3F	Q7	2	Allowed	Foundation	QP MS
2024-11	2F	Q4	1	Allowed	Foundation	QP MS
2023-11	3F	Q10	3	Allowed	Foundation	QP MS
2024-11	1F	Q7	3	Non-calculator	Foundation	QP MS
2024-06	1F	Q3	1	Non-calculator	Foundation	QP MS

Other points in G Geometry and measures

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